A Mountain We Shall Climb Together
by UnleashedMagic
Summary: AU/ Jane and Maura are freshman in high school. Jane adjusts to it quickly. How will Maura fair? Will Jane be there for Maura when she needs it or will she ignore it? What happens when something tragic happens? How will each of them get through it? This is a story of two very different girls who just happen to be in the same school, and their paths cross.
1. Chapter 1

**A Mountain We Shall Climb Together**

Chapter 1:

Jane walked down the hall of her high school. It was her first day as a freshman. She was a little nervous, but not too much. She was popular among most of the high school students even though she was just a freshman because of her basketball ability. She definitely was a legend. As she arrived at her first class she sat down at a desk in the middle of the room. Jane was byno means stupid. She held high grades as well as worked so hard physically she could be playing basketball on the varsity team that all of the seniors were on as a freshman in high school. As soon as Jane was settled in her desk and looked up she saw that she was surrounded by her classmates. All of them were smiling and wanted to know about her summer.

Soon the bell rang signaling the start of the class. The people around Jane's desk didn't move until the teacher clapped her hands and ordered everyone to their desks. When everyone dispersed from around Jane's desk she caught sight of a young honey blonde girl sitting in the very front row with her eyes glued to a book. Jane couldn't help but stare at the honey blonde whose brow was creased in concentration. The girl didn't look like she belonged there. She worn clothes that looked expensive compared to her jeans and Red Sox t-shirt.

Soon class had started and she got pulled out of her daze. The teacher introduced herself as Mrs. Lee. She was a petite woman maybe in her early to mid-fifties. She had short light brown hair. Mrs. Lee was our Algebra I teacher. "Ok class, today we are just going to review today what you learned in Pre-Algebra. If you can't add, subtract, divide, or multiply you are going to fail this class." One boy diagonally behind me snorted and said 'whatever' under his breath. Mrs. Lee handed out sheets of paper that contained a few problems from everything we learned in Pre-Algebra last year. "Now, I don't expect all of you to remember how to do every single problem, but I do expect you to know most of them. And, don't worry about getting it all done today. We will be working on the packet all week."

Jane looked at the first few problems on the paper and got them done with little trouble. The problems began to get harder and she just couldn't remember how to work them. She looked up from her paper to think when her eyes landed on the honey blonde from earlier. She was already done with the first page and half way down the second page. "Damn, how can she remember how to do all of this?" A short time later the bell rang and pulled Jane out of her trance. "All right class, before you leave hand in your packet and we can work on it again tomorrow" Mrs. Lee stated as she stood next to her desk.

As soon as I turned my paper into Mrs. Lee at her desk I turned to look for the honey blonde. She was already gone. My search was cut short when Barry Frost stood in the doorway and called to me. "Rizzoli, come on. I can't be waiting on your ass all the time," he chuckled. "I'm comin'" I yelled to him as I picked up my backpack that was next to my seat. Frost was one of my best friends. Through all of the fame I received he was there from the beginning and stayed true to himself.

"So, what class you got next?" Frost asked.

I looked down at the schedule in my hand. "British Literature, you?" Frost looked down at his schedule "Computers". He had a huge smile on his face.

"You're such a nerd." I laughed. Frost gave me a light punch to the arm. "Ow, don't you know it's not nice to hit girls." I played with him as I rubbed my arm and hit him back. "Come on, you know you love me." He teased. And with that, we went our separate ways.

The rest of the morning went by quickly. It was finally lunch time and I was especially hungry after having a great workout. I met Frost by a soda machine, and got in the lunch line. Frost was the first to speak. "So, looks like you have a fun schedule."

"Yep, I'm pretty excited about it actually. I think I'm gonna really enjoy this year. Except for the academic part of it of course." I replied with a laugh. We continued our conversation all the way to the table until a particular honey blonde caught my eye. She was just standing there in the middle of the cafeteria with her tray and a book in her hands. Her attention was brought to a group of guys sitting at a table close to her. "Hey little hottie, you new here cause I'm sure I'd remember eyes like those." A boy with short blond hair said as he put his hands to his chest as he said the eyes part referring to her breasts. The whole table burst into laughter. The honey blonde looked confused for a moment before she realized what they were talking about. She glared at them and walked away. "Jane. Jane. JANE!"

"What!"

"Are you even listening to me?" Frost questioned.

"Yeah, sorry, I just got a little distracted that's all."

"All right, so what I was saying, what are the rest of your classes?" I pulled my schedule out of my back pocket and read it out to Frost. "English, Biology, and Basketball slash PE."

"Sweet! I have English and Biology too."

"Nice! well, we had better hurry up and finish eating before we're late." I said as I glanced at the clock on the wall.

Frost and I walked into English together and sat right next to each other. Frost leaned over to me. "Have you heard the rumors about this teacher, Jane?"

"No, what about her?"

"It's said that she haunts the halls on a full moon and parties with William Shakespeare."

"What are you talking about Frost, that's ridicules? I'm sure she's a very nice lady." With that, an elderly woman stood up from her computer in the corner of her room and walked over to her podium. I looked over to Frost who looked just as stunned as I was. Frost looked over to me with his mouth still agape. "I thought they were joking." He whispered to me.

"Hello children. My name is Mrs. Thomas. I will be teaching all of you wonderful children English and in addition to that, Shakespeare. We will be doing _Much Ado About Nothing_ this year. It is one of my favorite plays and I hope you all enjoy it just as much as I do. Every Monday and Friday is Shakespeare Day so make sure you bring your books I am about to hand out to you."

As one could suspect English was as boring as ever. I was so happy school was almost over. I just had one more boring class left. That class was Biology. As I entered with Frost I noticed the honey blonde girl from math and lunch sitting in the first row not looking up from the book she was reading. 'Is the only thing she does is read?' I thought to myself as I walked to a desk next to Frost. The teacher was standing at his podium watching the rest of the kids file in. I was sitting in my chair talking to a group that had gathered around my desk when the bell rang for class to start.

We were learning about molecules and atoms today. Talk about boring. Whenever Mr. Allen, the biology teacher, would ask the class a question I noticed only one person would raise their hand and answer the question correctly and enthusiastically, the honey blonde. Eventually you could tell that Mr. Allen was getting tired of having just one person participate in answering his questions. "Since it seems that I am only keeping Ms. Isles attention, everyone open your books and read to the section review and answer the questions."

Groaning and complaining filled the whole classroom. "I don't want to hear it. If this is the only way you guys are gunna learn then it will be like this all year." The rest of the class was completely silent except for the occasional snores here and there. Finally, the bell rang. I grabbed all my things happy to go to basketball. When I was nearly out of the door Mr. Allen spoke. "Oh, and class, there will be a quiz tomorrow on what you read." Good thing I heard that.

I looked in my locker to grab all of the books I needed for homework before heading to the locker room to get changed for basketball.

We only worked on ball handling drills. By the time school was out I was exhausted. I met Frost outside by the fountain. We talked a bit while we walked to our bicycles. We always rode home together. All of the way home we exchanged stories about our day at school. When we finally reached home we said our goodbyes before I went inside and Frost continued his way down the street to his house. I went straight to my room for some alone time before the rest of my rowdy family got home. My mind thought about nothing in particular as a sat at the edge of my bed and shot hoops into my miniature basketball hoop that hung on the door.

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**This is my first fan fiction. Please let me know in the comments if there is anything I need to fix or clear up. Constructive criticism is welcomed. I will also take any suggestions on where you want me to go with the story. I will try to update as often as I can. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy the story.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Nearly a month had passed since the beginning of school. Basketball had started so Jane had practice every day after school. She didn't mind it though. She was happy that she didn't have to go home to hear her parents argue. When she did get home Jane went straight to her room and turned her music full blast. She would stay in her room until she **HAD** to come out.

My ma burst through the door while I was sitting at my desk doing some math homework. "Jane! Turn that music off and set the table for dinner!" I leaned over to my stereo and turned it off. Ma still stood in the doorway. "Also, just set four bowls. Your father won't be joining us tonight." Ma said with sadness in her voice. She walked out of my room and I followed her down the hallway. 'Of course, when does he ever join us for dinner anymore?' I mumbled to myself.

Even though I was in a bad mood it was brightened up when my mother brought my favorite meal to the table, gnocchi. Everyone knew not to talk about Pa's absence. My two younger brothers, Frankie and Tommy, sat at the table talking about their day at school. Tommy was the most talkative. He told us about a girl in his fifth grade class that he has a crush on. I was surprised that he was already crushing on girls at his age.

"Tommy, aren't you a little young to be crushing on girls? I thought ten year olds still thought each other had cooties."

"What can I say, Jane? It's the 'Rizzoli charm.'" Tommy said before giving off the famous Rizzoli grin. Then Ma spoke up, "Ya know Jane, the Rizzoli's were always early bloomers. It ju-"

"EWW, MA! At the table, really?" I interrupted. "I'm done eating now."

"All right Janie, but wash your bowl before you head off to your room." Ma called as I headed toward the kitchen.

When I was done washing my bowl I headed to my room. I sat on the edge of my bed and shot some hoops into the basket that hung on my door. Tomorrow was our first basketball game of the season. I had no idea what to expect. My coach, Coach T (as we called her), made me a starter on the senior varsity team. I know that some of the players on the team were mad that I beat some of them out of their starting positions. I don't blame them. How would you act if you were a senior and a freshman was playing in your place? Other than a couple people on the team hating on me because I stole their positions, the rest of the team seemed to love me.

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I was woken up the next day with the annoying buzz of the alarm clock. The only thing I was happy about was the fact that it was Friday. I went through my 'everyday routine' of getting ready before I made my way into the kitchen to grab a quick piece of toast and walk out the door. As soon as a reached the front door Ma's voice blared behind me. "Jane, don't forget to give your Ma a hug before you leave. You should know better than to leave without the proper goodbye."

"Ahh, come on Ma. Do I really have to do this every single day?" I whined. I was too old to be giving her hugs anymore.

"Oh, don't complain Janie. When I am dead and gone you're gonna wish you could have given me more hugs." She retorted. I reluctantly walked to her and gave her a hug and walked out the door. When I arrived at school a nice, expensive car was pulling away. The honey blonde from the first day of school had gotten out of it. 'Hmmm, I haven't seen her in a while. I wonder why she's not in any of my classes anymore.' I was brought back to reality when I heard Frost calling my name.

When I finally reached Frost he immediately started talking. "So, you excited about today's game? I'll be in the best spot on the bleachers just to watch you." He said as he nudged me in my side with his elbow.

"Aww, Frost, your such a sweetheart." I teased as I clutched my chest.

"Whoa, whoa, don't get all girly on me now." He teased back. "Anyway, are you gonna answer my question?" he got all serious again.

"Yeah, actually I am. I'm also a little nervous, but not too much. Ain't nothing I can't handle." I replied confidently.

When we finally reached our lockers (luckily they were close to each other) barely anyone was in the hallway. Frost looked down at his watch. "Damn! We gotta leave. We can't be late to class again." He stated as he took hold of my arm and dragged me to class.

When we finally reached the classroom the bell rang. After I had sat down in my desk I looked up to see that there wasn't even a teacher in the room. "Frost you idiot, she isn't even in here!" I spat. "You made my adrenaline start pumping faster than it needed to for nothing!?"

Frost held up his hands in surrender and replied back innocently. "Hey, how was I supposed to know the teacher wasn't gonna be in here? I'd rather be safe than sorry." A short time passed and the teacher entered. "I'm sorry I'm late. I had some issues to take care off."

The day went on like any normal day until after lunch. I was exiting the girls bathroom when I was ran into, hard. The person didn't even stop. I was utterly confused. Not only because I was rudely hit by a person that didn't stop, but because the person that did it looked a lot like the honey blonde. I looked at a few girls that were gather a little distance away laughing and pointing in my direction, even though it was obvious that they weren't laughing and pointing at me. I looked down at the wetness that still lingered on my arm and saw a black streak across it. 'Is that mascara? Was that girl cry?' I was perplexed.

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**Sorry that it is so short. At least something is better than nothing. Anyway, REVIEWS PLEASE! Also, if you have any ideas or suggestions please leave them in the comments. Or, if you just want to comment, then, comment. :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**To those who were wondering:**

** The teacher's full names are Professor Richard Allen, Josephine Thomas, Caitlin Lee, and Coach T; as in the famous basketball player Diana Taurasi. And yes, these characters are based off of real people.**

**Side note: just in case you all were wondering, the double parentheses are said out loud. The single parentheses are what the particular person is thinking at the time.**

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Chapter 3:

When I put the pieces together I figured that the honey blonde was in fact crying. I turned around and headed back into the bathroom. I heard sniffling from the fourth stall. I lowered my voice so I wouldn't startle the girl. "Hey, are you ok in there?" I asked, speaking to the girl on the other side of the door. There was no response. "May I come in?" I tried again. There was a small pause before the girl spoke up. "You would just be happier if you left. It will save your disappointment of me. I'm not someone a person like you would want to be around."

"What makes you say that? We don't even know each other." I was getting confused now.

"Because no one seems to like me. They call me weird or walk around calling me names like 'Maura-the-Bora.' It's supposed to be boring" she sniffled, "but it doesn't rhyme."

She said the last part a bit matter-of-factly. That made me giggle. She heard me. "See!" she started to cry again, "You're just like everyone else. You make fun of me."

"No, no, no, not at all"- 'Shit! What did she say her name was again? Dora? Cora? M-Maura. That's it!' - "Maura, I wasn't making fun of you. I laughed because of the way you said the last part. I thought it was - cute. Come on, Maura, open the door." - ' Jeez, we're acting like a bunch of 12 year olds.' Suddenly, I heard the click of the stall door unlatch and the door opened. The honey blonde stepped out slowly. She was in a tight blue dress and her eyes were red and puffy from crying.

I was overjoyed that I got her to come out. A smile appeared on my face. I stuck my hand out to introduce myself. "Hi, I'm Jane, Jane Rizzoli." She took my hand shyly "Maura Isles. Why did you come to help me? No one ever does." I was surprised by her last statement.

"Because, I don't think anybody should be bullied or teased for just being themselves. Can I ask you a question?" she looked at me skeptically before she answered unsurely. "Sure?"

"How come you're not in my Algebra I or Biology class anymore?"

"Well, the administration saw that I wasn't challenged enough by the classes, and so they moved me to harder classes such as Geometry and Anatomy and Physiology."

"Oh," is all I could say at first. "So, you're like a genius I guess, right?"

Maura's response put a smile on my face. "Well, I wouldn't really say 'genius' because to be classified as a genius one has to obtain an IQ of 150. The initials IQ stand for Intelligence Quotient. The term was first coined in the early twentieth century by a German psychologist nam-"

"Whoa, whoa, slow down Wikipedia." I teased. My head was still spinning from all the knowledge that was just thrown on me.

'She gave me a nickname.' Maura thought to herself. The thought put a smile on her face.

"So," Jane started. "What class do you have now?"

"I have yoga. You?" As I opened my mouth to speak my phone vibrated in my back pocket. I grabbed my phone and saw that I had a text from Frost.

_Where the hell are you? I already saved you from being late to one class today. It's too late to save you from another one. "Mrs. Shakespeare" already took role and marked you absent. _

'Shit'- "Um, Maura," I started. She looked up from the floor. Concern was deep in her eyes.

"Yes?" She replied uneasily.

"I would love to stay and chat, but I'm already late for class."

A shocked look plastered her face. "Oh! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to keep you from class or even make you late for that matter. I didn't know that I would keep you for so long. I wasn't even planning on keeping anyone. I did'n-"

"Maura!" I stopped her rambling. I couldn't help but smile at how cute she got when she rambled in bewilderment. "It's ok. Let's just get to class, ok?"

"All right." We walked out of the bathroom and made our separate ways down the hall. I couldn't keep the smile off of my face that Maura gave me. There was just something about her; something a bit -odd- that made me happy. All of a sudden, I remember I had a game today. I quickly turned around. "Maura," I yelled down the hall, "I have a basketball game today after school. Do you want to come?"

"Sure," she replied. I could tell that she had a smile on her face. "What time is it?"

"The game starts at 5 o' clock, but you probably want to get there around 4:30."

"Ok Jane, I'll be there."

"All right. See you there." I called back. And with that, we both turned and made our way down the hall to our proper classrooms.

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**Even though it's a little I hope it will suffice. I tried my best to get this chapter out today. Having two chapters out in two days or several chapters out right after each other will probably be a rarity, but I will do my best to get them out as soon as I can. On a different note, however, thank you to all who are reading it and enjoying it. Thank you to all who have followed and left a comment. I appreciate all of it. Again, reviews, suggestions, comments, and constructive criticism is welcomed. I hope that you stick with me throughout my whole journey with these characters. Thank you. :)  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you for all the reviews. You guys don't understand how happy that makes me. Enjoy! Here's the next chapter. I haven't checked it yet so the mistakes are mine. I tried my hardest to get this chapter up. I will go over and fix anything tomorrow. :) **

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Chapter 4:

The rest of the day went by extremely fast. I had a hard time concentrating in the rest of my classes. The only things I could think about were Maura and my basketball game. When the end of the day finally arrived I had trouble keeping in my excitement. I met Frost in front of the fountain like I did every day after school. "So Frost," I began. "What do you want to do for about," I looked down at my phone, "forty minutes before I have to be here again?"

"Hmm, that's a tough decision, Jane. I don't know." We stood in silence while we were deep in thought. "Do you want to go shoot some hoops on the courts in the back of the school? You could use the practice." Frost teased. I smacked him in his arm. We both couldn't help but laugh.

Frost is my best friend. I don't know what I would do without him. Instead of going home, we ended up staying at the school and shot hoops at the outside courts. We shot hoops in silence until I couldn't hold my questions in any longer. "Frost?" I shot a basket.

"Yes?"

"Have you seen that honey blonde girl with the expensive looking dresses around?"

He shot a basket. "You mean the hot one that was in our math class at the beginning of the year?" He asked with a smile on his face.

"Yeah, her." I replied after making another basket. Frost gasped. "Janie! I didn't know you thought she was hot, too!" I rolled my eyes and sighed, "You know what I mean. Anyway, she was in the bathroom today –" Frost cut me off.

"Wow! She was in the bathroom," He started sarcastically, "at least we know she's not a robot." He laughed.

"Stop Frost, I'm serious." I retorted seriously.

"Oh, sorry. You were saying?"

I began again. "So, when I saw her in the bathroom today she was crying. She looked completely broken." I had stopped shooting hoops and stood with the basketball in my hands facing Frost. "Frost, I think she's being bullied."

Frost's face was now covered in concern. "Really? Why would anyone want to bully her? She seems so nice and innocent."

"Well, when she bumped into me as she ran to the bathroom six of the cheerleaders were laughing and pointing at her."

Frost replied with a light chuckle. "Oh, well that explains it. They were cheerleaders. Cheerleaders can be brutal when it comes to other girls. Who were the cheerleaders anyway?"

"It was Brittany, Melody, Olivia, Debbie, Emily, and Kate."

By now we had started shooting baskets again. Frost snickered. "Go figure, I would have guessed it were those six. They're always walking around talking about how much better they are than everybody else." Frost started mocking them in a girly voice. "OMG, did you see her makeup? It totally looked like a clown did it." He then burst out mockingly into a hideously girly laugh. He continued as I shot more baskets. "Did you see the clothes she was wearing? Her nail polish didn't even match her—shoes!"

It was finally time to head back inside. I walked into the gym with Frost. "I guess I'll go change." I commented to Frost as we were walking. "Ok, guess I'll wait here then." He responded.

When I walked into the locker room only two other girls were changing. Our coach had set out our uniforms on our designated lockers. She was such an awesome coach.

When I was completely changed in my uniform, shoes, and shooting shirt I walked out of the locker room. Frost was on the basketball court sweeping it with a "court broom". He was such a gentleman. I could only guess that he volunteered to sweep the court because that's the kind of person he is.

Eventually, it was time for the game to start. I was put at post since I am already tall for my age (5'7"). The game started off well. We were winning by a significant margin before halftime. After halftime is a different story. The other team had caught up and we were both struggling for the lead. The lead changed too many times to keep count.

* * *

The adrenaline in my body was pumping extremely fast. I had just gotten the ball off of a rebound and dribbled to the other side of the court for a layup. My left hand extended. Suddenly, I was knocked to the ground by an elbow hitting me directly in the nose. I could hear it crack a little. I was lying on my back when I felt blood start to pour out of my nose. I went to sit up when I was grabbed on my shoulders by two hands that pulled me back to the ground.

It took me a second to focus on the faces that towered above me. I immediately recognized my ma then Frost then my coach and – Maura. 'She came.'

She was holding and pinching a towel to my nose. My ma was being hysterical. I could only catch a few words she was mumbling as she paced back and forth. She was saying something about why I have to bring my roughhousing to school when I do it at home with my brothers already. She was also saying stuff about how I was always the difficult child 'cause I'm always getting hurt.

Maura began to speak to me, "Jane, you need to stop wiggling around and hold your head back. I'm gonna start lifting you up off of your back slowly, but make sure you keep your head tilted back, ok?"

"Ok." Maura started to lift me up, still holding the towel over my nose, and I tilted my head back. I was now sitting up.

"Could you hold the towel on your nose while I lift you up and bring you to the locker room?"

"Yeah." She lifted her hand slightly as I grabbed the towel and pinched my nose. I winced a little because of the pain. I was lifted off of the court by Maura and Frost. Then, I was brought into the locker room.

The crowd cheered; and the game continued.

When I was set down at a bench Maura stood in front of me and examined my nose without speaking. "So, you came." I said nasally because of the blood clotting in my nose. A smile appeared on Maura's face while still examining my face. "Of course I came, Jane. I wouldn't miss it." I winced in pain as Maura touched a sensitive spot on my nose. "It looks like you have a hairline fracture to your nasal bone. Not a big deal." She looked me straight in the eyes. "This is gonna hurt a little, ok?"

" All ri —Ow, Maura, What the hell!? You could have warned me!"


	5. Chapter 5

**Next chapter! Hope you enjoy!**

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Chapter 5:

"Language, Jane." Maura scolded me. She was still examining my nose. "It was better that you didn't know it was coming. The anticipation makes it hurt more." She had finished her examination. "Ok," she stood upright. "You're ok to leave except you need to put some ice on your nose before you do, unless, of course, you want to look like Mike Tyson." She said nonchalantly.

I had a difficult time understanding Maura. She was funny, yet serious at the same time. She gave an impression of being somewhat socially awkward.

As if on cue, my ma walked into the locker room holding a bag of ice. She sat down next to me and placed the ice on my nose. "Sorry I couldn't get here quicker. They were taking forever scooping the ice into the bag." At that moment she seemed to notice Maura. "Oh! Hello, I'm Angela, Jane's mother, but you can call me Angela." Ma stood up and stuck out her hand. Maura took it and introduced herself as well. "Maura. Maura Isles."

Awkward silence filled the room after Ma and Maura introduced themselves. Ma had sat down and started examining my nose as she mumbled things here and there. "Excuse me," Maura spoke, "but I really should be going. I don't think I'm even allowed back here." She said with a chuckle as she gestured around the locker room.

"No, you're fine, dear."

Maura responded a bit uncomfortably, "No, really, I don't want to be intruding on your privacy." She started to move toward the door.

Ma, of course, could just resist. "Don't worry, dear, you're fine." I rolled my eyes. She was so insistent sometimes. If Maura wanted to leave why not just let her leave?

"Thank you," Maura said politely, "but I think I'm going to leave."

"Ok, sweety, enjoy the rest of the game." Ma said with a smile. Maura smiled back and uttered a "thanks" before she exited the locker room.

By the time I eventually exited the locker room two minutes were left in the fourth quarter. Our team had finally gained a fair lead of twelve points. As I made my way to the home bench I looked out to the crowd in search of Maura. She was nowhere to be found.

We were victors. Our first game included our first win. I wasn't filled with happiness, though, for two reasons. The first reason was that I was injured the first game and couldn't play the rest of the game. The second and most important reason was about Maura. My mind was filled with questions, 'Where did she go?' 'Why did she leave?' 'Did Ma scare her away?' These kinds of questions bothered me so much I had trouble sleeping the whole weekend.

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**Reviews Please! I hope all of you are enjoying the story. I have a good idea of where I want to go with this story, but that doesn't mean you can't give me some ideas. Anyway, leave your comments or suggestions. They are greatly appreciated. **


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

I was so relieved when Monday came. I could finally put my questions to rest. I arrived to school extra early to make sure I didn't miss Maura walking in to school. After about half an hour of waiting, a car that I only guessed was Maura's pulled up. It was Maura. She was dressed in a fuchsia colored dress and heels. 'Typical Maura. Always dressed as if she's on a catwalk.'

I approached Maura. It seemed as though I had startled her. "Oh! Jane, you startled me." She clenched at her chest. "What are you doing here so early? I thought you tried to stay out of school as long as you could?"

"Well," I hesitated for a moment. "It's better than being home." I mumbled. By now we had started walking.

"It can't be that bad." Maura began. "Besides it's probably better than my home." She said almost shamefully.

"I highly doubt that. Anyway," I changed the subject. "After you left the locker room on Friday where did you go? I looked for you in the crowd but didn't see you anywhere."

"I, uh, had to… go, take care of something." I knew she wasn't telling the whole truth, but I decided not to push it.

We were walking down the hall side-by-side when I was rudely bumped into. "Hey! Watch where y-" I spun to see who it was. It was Joey Grant. He was the most popular guy in the freshman class and a total jerk. He was surprisingly fit for his age, but I only guessed it was because he was the running back on the football team.

"How's it hangin' Roly-Poly Rizzoli?" For as long as I can remember Joey always picked on me. I never knew why.

"What do you want Grant?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"I heard you got clobbered with an elbow to your face at the basketball game. That's good. It will add variety to your frog-face." He laughed along with his posse. It was only then that he seemed to notice Maura behind me. "Hey, Bora! I didn't know you liked hanging with anything that was living." Joey had a huge grin on his face. Maura had averted her eyes from Joey to the floor. A look of hurt filled her eyes.

I couldn't bear to see her being picked on like that. It was ok if it was me because I could handle it, but seeing her like that was too much. "Joey, leave her alone." I brought his attention back to me. "What? Is it bothering you that you're not getting the attention anymore, Roly-Poly?"

Just then a boy with black hair that hung over his eyes gently bumped into Joey by accident. The boy turned from staring at the ground to looking at Joey without saying anything. He then continued down the hallway staring down at the ground. Fury lined Joey's face. "Hey kid! Don't think you got away with anything! I'll get you!" Joey yelled down the hallway. "Don't think this is over." He pointed his finger in my face then headed down the hall after the boy. Soon, he was out of sight after disappearing into the crowded hallway.

I turned to look at Maura who still hadn't taken her eyes off of the ground. "Come on Maura. Don't worry about him. He's a big jerk anyway. He tries to make up in his personality for his lack of dick in his pants." This got a little chuckle from Maura. We walked down the hall until we came to Maura's classroom. "So, I'll see you at lunch?"

"Yeah, that would be great." Maura was now to her happy self again. "Where do you want to meet?"

"Uh," I thought for a while. I really had no idea where to meet her. "How about we meet at your locker? I'll need to get Frost after my class so he knows where I'll be, then I will meet you at your locker. Ok?"

"No problem, Jane, but do you know where my locker is?"

"Uh, no, that would be good information." I laughed at my stupidity. "All you have to do is give me the number and I'll be able to find it."

"Ok, it is locker number 483."

"Thanks! That would have been bad if I didn't know where to find you." I chuckled. "Well, I better be getting' to class. See you at lunch."

"Ok." She smiled then headed into her class. I made my way toward my own.

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**Man! Two updates in one night! You guys are super lucky! Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. As always reviews, comments, and suggestions are always welcome. If I am going too fast or too slow PLEASE let me know. I don't want to bore you or make it unrealistic.**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

When the bell finally rang for lunch, I ran out of my classroom as fast as I could. I texted Frost and told him to meet me at my locker. When we were ready to go we set off toward Maura's locker. She had just finished putting her World Cultures book into her locker, and started to close it. Frost and I were standing right next to her as she turned. "Hi Jane!" She said with a huge smile on her face. I greeted her back and took the time to introduce her and Frost.

"Well, since we all know each other let's go eat. I'm starving." I added. As we walked down the hall I noticed the boy with dark hair standing in a corner of another hallway staring at us. He glared at us through his hair, but I could tell that he had a black eye. I could only guess that was a "gift" from Joey Grant after bumping into him by accident.

When we had gotten our lunch from the lunch line, I looked around for a table to sit at. There were none. I turned to Maura and Frost who were behind me. "Hey, you guys want to eat lunch out on the lawn?" Everyone agreed so we headed toward the doors that lead outside. I had just stepped outside along with Frost when I heard commotion behind me and the click-clack of high heels getting faster and further away. I turned to see two cheerleaders, Debbie and Emily, pointing to the heap of food on the ground and laughing. "What did you do to her?" I sneered at them through clenched teeth as I approached them. By now their laughing had stopped. One of them finally spoke up with a terror-laced voice.

"I-It was just a j-joke. All we did was scare her. We didn't know she was gonna jump and spill her food all over her."

I felt powerful standing over the cheerleaders. My height was finally paying off. "Where did she go?" I asked with anger still in my voice.

"I don't know. She ran back down the hall." After I was given that information I headed into the school searching for wherever Maura may be. I figured if she spilled her food on her she might be in the locker room getting her yoga clothes to change into so she wouldn't be dirty for the rest of the day. I made it to the locker room, but it was completely empty from what I could see.

I sat down on one of the benches to think of where else she may be. 'Maybe she ran to the bathroom? Of course that's where she is. How stupid can I be? Why didn't I check there in the first place?' I stood up and left the locker room to search for Maura in the closest bathroom she could have run to. When I approached the bathroom I heard laughing. I stopped to hear what was going on inside.

"Ahh, what a stupid bitch." I heard one girl say.

"I mean she didn't have to drop the thing." I heard another say.

"Whatever, that girl is so damn skittish, tap her on the shoulder and she jumps like nine feet in the air." The first girl said. It dawned on me that they must be talking about Maura. "I thought it was funny."

"I heard she has to take diet pills to keep her figure." The second girl said.

The first girl laughed and then replied back "Wow, they're really working for her." Both of them burst into laughter.

I was still standing outside the bathroom door when one of the girls spoke again. "Come on, let's go." I moved from where I was standing and backed away from the door. The girls that exited were Debbie and Emily. After they were a good enough distance away I decided to move from my spot. I started to make my way down the same hall Debbie and Emily just disappeared down. As I walked past the bathroom door I heard cries and sobs coming from inside. I was utterly confused. My curiosity got the better of me and I entered the bathroom. "Hello?" The crying stopped. I walked up to the stall door that the crying was coming from. "Hey, you ok in there?"

"Jane?"

I creased my brow in confusion. "Maura?"

Suddenly she opened the stall door. Her face was streaked black from the eyeliner and her dress was covered in food. She started to cry again. I approached her and wrapped my arms tightly around her. I took a seat on the floor with my back to the stalls to support me. Maura still lay wrapped in my arms.

By now she was sobbing again uncontrollably. I rocked her back and forth in my arms trying to comfort her. My mind couldn't help but think back to what had happened a short moment ago. Without warning it all came to me. 'She was in here when they were talking and making fun of her. Did they know she was in here? Was all of this planned out and done on purpose? Why would they do this?" My mind was swarming with questions. 'How could anybody be so cruel?'


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

By now Maura's sobbing had subsided. I didn't care how long we had been on the ground. All I wanted to do was make Maura feel as safe as possible. Maura was the first to break the silence. She looked up to me. "Sorry I got your shirt all wet."

I couldn't help but laugh. "That's the first thing that comes to your mind after crying your heart out? Not a 'thanks for being there for me' or some random facts about how many bacteria whatevers are on the ground that we are sitting on?"

"Well," she chuckled. I could hear the smile in her voice without even looking down at her face. "Did you know that the cleanest place in the bathroom is the toilet and that the cleanest toilets are in hospitals and the worst are in airports and airplanes?"

"Eww, Maura, Too much info. Come on, let's get off the ground. You creeped me out by all the fact thingys. But, I am perfectly glad that my Maura's back." We both got off the ground. "Come on Maura, let's get that dirty dress changed." We walked out into the hall. It was completely empty. Maura followed me all of the way to the locker room. "You have yoga clothes to change into, right?"

"Yes, I do." She walked silently to her locker, unlocked it, and pulled her clothes out. I stood there not knowing what to do. She pulled her soiled dress over her head so now she only stood in a fuchsia colored bra and lace panties. She grabbed her black yoga pants and started pulling them on.

I spoke up. "Maura?" I paused. "How long were you in the bathroom before Emily and Debbie came in?" I looked at Maura who had now stopped what she was doing and stared at the ground. Her eyes had started to fill up with tears, but she replied anyway. "I wasn't in there long. I ran to the bathroom and started to try to wash the food off my dress with a paper towel. I heard some laughing from outside the bathroom; I knew it were the cheerleaders I just didn't know whom. Before they walked in I ran to the stall that you found me." She paused and I saw a tear slide down her cheek. "I think th-that- ," She was now sobbing. "that they kn-knew I wa-was in the- there."

I couldn't bear to see Maura cry anymore. I walked up to her and gave her a hug. "I'm sorry Maura," I whispered. "I didn't mean to make you cry."

"It's o-ok." She wiped the tears off of her face and sniffled one more time. "Wha- what time is it?" she randomly asked. I pulled my phone out of my jean's back pocket. It read _12:25_. I had a text from Frost that was sent about ten minutes ago. I must not have felt it vibrate. _Where the hell are you! Did you find Maura? Is she ok? When are you coming to class?_ I didn't reply to Frost. "It's 12:25," I told Maura, "but before you freak out about you being late to yoga and me late to English I'm sure we're fine."

She had now put on her top. It was a purple racerback yoga tank. "What do you mean 'we're fine'?" She grabbed my hand in a panic and headed toward the locker room door.

"Wait Maura, what about your shoes?" She looked down at her bare feet and headed back to the bench her clothes were still sitting on. "And, what about your clothes? Aren't you gonna put them back into your locker?"

She was absentmindedly fumbling around with her clothes. "Shoot!"

My eyes shot up in surprise and panic. I ran to her. "What!?"

"I don't have any shoes to wear. My heels won't go with my yoga outfit." She whined.

I sighed and groaned. "Oh my go- really Maura, really? That's it? Your shoes don't go with your outfit!?" I said a little too roughly for my liking, but Maura didn't seem to mind. "Here," I walked over to my locker. "What size shoe do you wear?" I opened my locker and pulled out a pair of converse.

"I wear a size 8."

"They're a size 9. I hope that's ok. It's all I have." I held out the pair of shoes to her. She didn't move. I reached into my locker and pulled out a pair of socks. "They're clean." She just stood staring at me, but I could tell that she was trying to come up with something to say. "I know that they're a size too big and not quite 'your style'; and I also know that you are probably about to start spouting off facts to me about how unsanitary this is, but they are all I have, and I'm willing to offer them." She didn't say anything to me, but she had a smile on her face. "What?" I asked cautiously.

"Nothing, it's just," She hesitated for a second. "No one has ever done that for me before." She walked up to me, still with a smile on her face, and took the socks and shoes from my hands. "Thank you."

She sat down at the nearest bench and began to put the socks on her feet. I was a little taken aback by her first comment, and all I could manage was a "No problem."

'It must be sealed now. Only friends share their shoes, right? So that's what we are now then, huh? Friends.'


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey guys, New chapter! Sorry it took so long to update. I try my best to update when I can, but with finals coming up for me and writers block it just hasn't been updated. Sorry about the change in person in this chapter (I hope it's not bad or confusing. If it is please tell me), but it just didn't sound right to keep it at Jane's point of view the whole time, and it was hard to get across to you what I was trying to. Anyway, I'm gonna stop rambling now. ENJOY! (»»»» ←these indicate change in person –POV)**

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Chapter 9:

A couple of weeks had passed since the incident in the bathroom. No one dared bother Maura when Jane was around. It was becoming rarer and rarer for Maura to be without Jane by her side.

Every afternoon after school, Maura would sit on the bleachers in the gym and wait for Jane's basketball practice to be over. When it was over Jane and Maura would chat outside the school and then say their goodbyes once Maura's driver came to pick her up. Jane, then, rode her bike home.

One day after school, Maura was sitting in the gym reading a science book while Jane practiced. There was about forty-five minutes left until the end of Jane's practice, and Maura had to use the bathroom.

Maura walked into the bathroom only to be met with a pair of eyes looking at her through the mirror, Debbie. She was leaning in close to the mirror reapplying lipstick. "Hello, Bora." She hissed as she turned around, along with Emily and Kate.

"Hello Debbie." Maura responded as cheerfully as she could manage. She began to make her way to a stall before she was stopped by Emily.

"Where's your friend?" Emily asked almost threateningly.

"Why does it matter?" Maura tried to keep her cool.

"I know where she is." Kate spoke up. No one ever really heard Kate talk. It was normally Emily or Debbie that gave the insults (because that's mostly the only thing that came out of their mouths). Kate was known more for just being a little shadow, but when she did deliver insults they were brutal. "She's at basketball practice."

"Why do you hang with her anyway?" Debbie asked as she approached Maura.

"You know she only uses you for her grades." Kate seethed. "She needs to keep her grades up to be able to play sports," Kate joined the other two, to surround Maura, "and now that you're in the picture, she can use you for her advantage to help her."

"That's not true at all," Maura defended, "She has never asked me to do her work for her. Jane is very responsible."

"Or so you think. She's trying to gain your trust the most she can." Debbie sneered. "And, by the looks of it, you already trust her with your life." Everybody burst into laughter. "Just wait 'til she does leave you." Debbie added as she walked to the bathroom doors with the two others following. "Then you'll have to go back to your frogs and lizards and whatever else you like to cut up. Oh, wait, you still do."

After Debbie, Emily, and Kate laughed; they left. Maura was left to stand alone in the bathroom to replay everything in her head that just went down. She didn't know whether to cry or leave or to confront Jane.

She decided that this wasn't something to cry about. After all, that's not how her mother taught her to handle a situation. She could almost hear her mother's speech about 'That is not how ladies act. Especially not an Isles. I did not raise you to cry at everything. That is what babies do because they cannot communicate with words. Use your words, Maura. You are not a baby. You are an Isles.' After mentally listening to her mother's speech in her head, she decided that she would ask Jane about it.

After waiting for what felt like hours to Maura (in reality it was only about 25-30 minutes), Jane's practice was finally over. Jane and Maura walked outside together and walked to get Jane's bike from the bike rack by the fountain out front (like they do every day). Jane noticed that Maura was being unusually quiet.

»»»»

"Maura, why are being so quiet? You're usually spouting off random facts." Silence. "What's going on in that big brain of yours?"

"Jane," Maura started, but I could tell that she was struggling with what to say. The way she was acting was completely unlike her. Abruptly, Maura grabbed my arm and turned to face me. "Jane, why are you friends with me? No one's ever wanted to be friends with me before."

I was caught off guard by her question. I slightly chuckled nervously from uncertainty, "Wha- what do you mean, Maura? You're joking, right?"

"No, Jane, I'm not." She looked at me seriously. Then, she repeated her question again. "Why are you friends with me?"

"Maura, why are you asking me this?"

"Can you please answer the question?" She asked nearly impatiently.

"Ok, ok. Maura," I looked straight into her hazel eyes. "I'm friends with you because I like being friends with you. I've never had a girl best friend before and there is something about us that just… clicked. There is just something about you that draws me to you. Why no one else has taken the time to get to know you, I have no idea. But, I am absolutely joyous that no one else had taken you first because, at the moment, I don't know what I would do without. We can talk and share anything without any judgment on either of our parts, except maybe mine now and then," Maura chuckled, "but I enjoy spending time with you and your quirky self. I wouldn't dare think to do anything that would compromise our friendship. Maura Isles, I enjoy being friends with you." I inhaled and exhaled deeply. It was almost a sigh of relief.

Unfortunately, Maura took my rant as a sign of me getting soppy, but I most definitely wasn't. She was clutching her chest and said in an almost pathetically, sweet, soppy tone. " Jane, that, that was so sweet. I had no idea that w—"

"Alright," I grabbed her arm to pull her along, "enough with the soppy love fest. I'm not that soft."

Maura's car and driver where already waiting out front for her. I got to my bike and pulled it out of the rack. We hugged and said our goodbyes only becoming more eager to see each other the instant we went off in our different directions. I could hardly wait for school tomorrow.

Even though Maura was feeling the same way I was. Unbeknownst to me, Maura was still questioning and analyzing our friendship to see if I really was being truthful with what I had told her; or if it was just a ploy.

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**Ok guys, that's the end of chapter 9. Since finals are coming up and I'm planning on going on vacation for a couple of days I don't know when I will update next. I will update ASAP. As always please review and comment. They are greatly appreciated. I hope you are enjoying this story and characters as much as I am. I can't wait for you to see where I'm going with it. Oh, and one more thing, I realize that I am getting readers from all over the world, I would find it fascinating to know what state or providence or city you're reading from. If you don't feel comfortable enough leaving that information I totally understand. I am not forcing it upon you. Moreover,** **Thanks again for your interest of where I am going with the story and characters.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Warning! Domestic gun violence**

Chapter 10:

For the next few days Maura analyzed and studied Jane intensely. She got more and more trusting of Jane, but she still stayed cautious. Maura didn't want to trust Jane completely until she could absolutely, by no doubt, trust her.

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Today seemed to be a strange, ominous day. The sun was out, but was covered by the clouds. The sky was covered in grey as if it were going to rain, but it was bright and sunny enough to conclude that it most likely won't rain until later that day.

I rode my bike to school like I did every day. And, like always, I met Frost and Maura out front. To me, today just felt… different. I couldn't explain it. No words could be put together to describe what I was feeling. I looked around to see if I could be able to tell if anyone else might be feeling the same way I did. Since I didn't get an inkling from anybody else I decided to speak up.

"Does anyone get this… strange feeling? Like, does today seem kinda… "off" to you at all?" We all stopped in our tracks and looked among each other. Frost was the first to speak after taking a long glance with a creased brow at Maura.

"Hmm, no, today doesn't seem different at all. Well, I don't seem to feel anything different. What makes you ask?"

"I don't know. It's hard to explain."

Of course Maura had to put in her two cents. "Jane, what did you eat last night?"

"Uh, Lasagna, why?"

"Well, you know how if you eat really late it can dictate your dreams, right? The symptoms could have lapsed into today. That could be one of the reasons. Another reason is th-"

"Ok,ok, sorry I asked. Let's just get to class before you give us, class." We continued to walk and I couldn't help but to notice the boy with long dark hair that covered his eye walking swiftly in the opposite direction of the school. I disregarded it as nothing and continued to walk in to school with my two best friends by my sides.

We all went to our appropriate lockers and got what we needed. After I got everything I needed from my locker I went to Maura, who was still at her locker, to walk to class with her. Luckily, our classes were right next to each other.

We walked to our classrooms talking about almost anything and everything. Frost had already proceeded to class. Once we arrived to our classrooms we said departing words. "So, I guess I'll see you after class, Maura."

"Ok, bye, Jane."

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I was so happy when first period was over. I hated math.

Maura met me outside my classroom (like always). I couldn't help but notice that we had a strange bond. We were so different but couldn't seem to be able to live without each other. I kind of felt bad for Frost because since Maura came along, he's sort of been pushed out of the picture. It didn't seem he minded though. Or, at least he hasn't given any indication of him minding at all.

Maura and I continued to walk down the hall to our next classes, Brit Lit and Latin, when suddenly the fire alarms started and the lights flicked off. Everyone seemed to have been frozen in place by confusion of not knowing what was going on. Without warning, three distinct 'pops' went off. At that, everyone seemed to scatter. A few screams were heard, and so were more 'pops.'

By now mostly everyone had a good idea of what was happening. I grabbed Maura's arm and pulled her into the nearest classroom with some other students. No one said a word. No one dared to.

After a while of us cowering in fear, the 'pops' seemed to get farther and farther away. I grabbed Maura's arm to pull her out of the classroom. "Where are you going?" One student whispered harshly.

"Where do you think I'm going? I'm getting out of here." Before I walked completely out of the room, I cautiously looked to both sides of the hall. They were clear. With Maura's arm still in my grip, I ran down the hall until we reached a point in the hall where the hall broke off into a hall in another direction. I stopped and peeked around the corner slowly. It was clear. "Ok, Maura, you need to watch our back so the guy with the gun doesn't sneak up behind us. Ok?"

I took a look at Maura who only nodded before she whispered, "Why didn't we just stay in the classroom?"

"We couldn't. If the shooter was going from classroom to classroom we would have been trapped in there with nowhere to go. You see? Only one way in and one way out, and the shooter would have been blocking it." I peeked around the corner one more time to see of it was clear before I advanced down the hall.

Finally, we made it to the door that led to the parking lot. I cautiously opened the door and looked around. It was clear. I walked over to the corner of the building and crouched down. I let go of Maura's arm for the first time since I grabbed it in the hall to pull her into the classroom. I scanned the parking lot until I found what I was looking for. My body turned toward Maura. "Maura, I want you to stay here. I am going to get something to get us out of here. Ok?"

"Jane, what are you going to do?" She looked intensely into my eyes. I could tell by her eyes that she was filled with fear.

"I'm just going to hotwire that motorcycle over there and get us out of here. We'll be safe. I promise."

"Jane, you can't do that. That is stealing. It's not even ours to take."

"Maura," I couldn't stop from chuckling at her comment. She had such a kind and caring heart that she possessed, "listen to me," I had grabbed both of her arms by now. "I have to. It's the only way we can get out of here fast enough. Just trust me, please." 'Pops' of the gun could be heard in the distance.

She was silent for a moment before she spoke. "Ok, Jane." With her approval, I turned to face the parking lot. No one was in sight.

I carefully made my way between the cars, kneeling before I moved from one car to another. I stayed low so I wouldn't be seen. I glanced up one time and saw the shooter coming from the right of me. He wasn't looking or walking toward me though. He was walking toward, Maura.

A rush of adrenaline and panic filled my body. Without really thinking of what I was doing I stood up and started sprinting toward the dark haired boy holding the gun. When I reached him I tackled him to the ground before he could shoot Maura, or turn and shoot me.

I wrestled him all over the ground for the gun. Neither one of us was going to let go. We both did a quick roll and he was on top of me. Both of us were still struggling for control of the gun when he was able to turn the gun in my hands to face me. He pulled the trigger and I felt the heat in my abdomen. My hands immediately flew to the pain. The warm liquid covered my hands. I let out a groan. Out of breath, the boy stood to his feet and aimed the gun at me. Kill shot.

I anticipated the shot. I anticipated to reach the feeling of nothingness when he pulled the trigger; but it never came. Someone out of nowhere tackled the boy to the ground and restrained him.

I could feel Maura by my side. Her very act I would cherish. Even though the whole struggle from my initial tackle to Maura being by my side happened in seconds, it felt like minutes. She lifted me into her lap as she applied pressure to my wound. She was crying and calling out my name. I had a hard time keeping focused. Then, everything went black. The darkness overtook me. I could no longer hear, feel, or move. My life, for all I knew, was over.

**Thanks for all of the reviews and comments so far. I knew I had readers from all over the world, I just didn't know it was THAT all over the world. You guys amaze me. And, I am extremely happy to know that different people from all over the world are reading and enjoying my story. Thank you for all the reviews, comments, favorites, and follows. They mean so much to me. Furthermore, I was able to get this chapter in before I went on vacation and before finals started. That means I may not update in a while, but I will as soon as I can. Again, thank you for reading. I enjoy the support.**


	11. Chapter 11

**I'm back! I had a great vacation AND I'm done with finals. I'm so excited! Ok, enough with me, here is chapter 11; I hope you enjoy it. **

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Chapter 11:

Without a warning, I felt like I was Alice in Alice in Wonderland. I was spiraling down the rabbit's hole (not literally of course). I was going from complete darkness an in to light. I heard my name being called out of nowhere. It sounded like Maura's voice.

Finally, I reached the bottom. Pain was suddenly in my side. It was excruciating. I groaned and opened my eyes. I heard beeping and looked over to a heart monitor. Then, I looked down and saw tubes and wires attached to me. It took me a moment to remember what had happened and why I was here.

I looked around the darkened room and saw four figures strewn out around it. I tried to sit up more than I already was, but I couldn't. Movement came from the left side of the room. I made direct eye contact with the person covered in blankets. It was Maura. She jumped up and walked over to me as fast as she could. "Wha- what are you doing here?" I managed to get out my dry throat. She then handed me a glass of water that she had been pouring.

"Shh, Jane, don't try to work yourself too hard." She rubbed my shoulder. "I'm going to wake up your mother and get the nurses, ok? I'll be right back." I watched her walk over to Ma and wake her. Ma sat up so fast that she and Maura's heads nearly collided.

"Janie, sweety, how are you feeling?" I watched Maura leave my room as Ma continued to bombard me. "I'm so glad you're ok. You had me worried sick." Ma caressed my face.

By now the two other lumps that were residing in my room had gotten up, Tommy and Frankie. Tommy sat up in his make-shift bed and rubbed his eyes as Frankie slowly made his way over to me.

While Ma and Frankie stood over me, Maura came back in with a nurse and doctor right behind her. The nurse checked my IV while the doctor introduced himself, Dr. Martin, and checked on me. First, he shined a light into my eyes; and according to Maura he was checking to see if my pupils were dilated (or something like that). Next, he poked around my abdomen for any pain. Maura said that he was checking my healing process, and seeing how my surgery went. When he poked my abdomen where I had been shot, I grunted and leaned slightly in pain.

After that, he asked for permission if he could pull back the covers to my bed; I allowed him. He then began feeling and moving my right leg. I had no idea what he was doing, but it was fine. Then, he started feeling around and moving my left leg. I could barely feel it. I started to freak out; I had no idea what was going on. I tried to wriggle away from the doctor, but the nurse and Maura held me down. Tears started streaming down my face. "What's going on? Let go of me! Maura, tell me what's wrong with me!" I nearly screamed in panic.

Predictably, Maura responded to me in a calm and collected tone. "Jane, you have to calm down. When you were – shot, you fell into a coma. You've been in it for almost a week. Stay calm we can get through this."

"Stay calm!? How am I supposed to stay calm when I can barely feel my left leg!? Maura, tell me what's going on!" I was uncontrollable and I knew it. The panic and adrenaline were surging through my body in an incalculable speed.

"Jane," Maura looked at me seriously. She took a long pause before she finally answered me. It almost looked as if she were about to cry. "When the- when the bullet went through you, it clipped your spine. But, it is fixable. Like I said it just clipped it."

"What- what does that mean, Maura?" I cried.

"The bullet barely hit it. The paralysis can be temporary." The nurse had let go of me by now, but Maura still held on to my shoulders so she could look me straight into my eyes. "If you get surgery the doctors can fix it, but you'll have to go to rehab to learn to walk again." Maura quieted me before I could say anything. "Jane, it's ok. It is completely fixable, but you are going to have work hard physically and mentally. We'll work through it. You'll be ok. I promise." Maura whispered the last part so only I heard it. Maura and I looked at each other speechlessly. Maura let go of my shoulders and took a step back. She didn't take her eyes off of me.

The nurse and doctor had already dismissed themselves. I couldn't help but to cry. The tears spilled out of my eyes like Niagara spills over the cliff. My tears weren't letting up or stopping any time soon. I didn't know how to handle the situation. I don't know if anyone did.

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**What do you guys think? Are you liking the story or did something happen that you don't particularly like? Would you like to change something or suggest that I do something in future chapters? Please let me know in the comments. I read every single one, so if you want to constructively criticize me or just leave a comment on how much you are liking the story go ahead. Thank you again for supporting my writing. I really do appreciate it. One more thing, I'm not a doctor and have little to no knowledge of medical stuff, so if I'm wrong in any way please forgive me. Until next time…. **


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12:

It had been a day and a half since I woke up from being in a coma in the hospital. The doctors ran multiple tests on me once I had calmed down. Maura never left my side. Neither did Ma or Tommy or Frankie. I don't think I would have been able to make it without them.

I still don't know all the details of went down on that fateful day, but I almost don't want to know. Maura told me that it was normal for a person who experienced something traumatic that they wouldn't remember everything that happened.

It was the middle of the night and I had just been jerked awake from a horrible nightmare. The dreams were almost always the same. People were getting shot and dying all around me. I would usually wake up when the shooter pulled the trigger to shoot Maura.

I looked around to see the four bodies that I had gotten accustomed to spread out on all of the furniture in the room. I knew Maura, Ma, Tommy, and Frankie were tucked nicely into their make-shift beds. The only person missing from the pile was dad. He was in Florida somewhere with little to no contact with us.

From what I could tell they were all still asleep. I rolled over to get out of bed to use the bathroom. I went to step onto the ground when my left leg collapsed because it couldn't hold my weight. Luckily, Maura leaped out of nowhere and caught me before I could hit the ground. It was hard to remember that I could only use one leg when I had been using two for the past fourteen years. "You trying to escape from this place?" She teased.

I chuckled and asked sarcastically, "Yeah, how did you know? My plan was kinda foiled though, couldn't you tell? It's not exactly ideal to escape with only one working leg." I looked away from Maura in shame. She could tell I wasn't playing anymore.

"Here Jane, let me help you up." She lifted me gently so now I could stand with my left arm wrapped around Maura's shoulder for balance. "Where are we going?" She turned her head the best she could to see me.

"Bathroom, good thing I only need one leg to do that." I said half sarcastically, half under my breath.

We walked over to the bathroom. Well, Maura walked. I sort of, I guess—hopped. She sat me down on the toilet and walked out so I could have privacy. She didn't close the door completely, though. Luckily, I was wearing the hospital gown so we didn't have to have an awkward moment of her having to unbutton and pull down my pants for me.

When I was done I called Maura back in to help me back to bed. She lifted me up and brought me over to the sink. As I washed my hands Maura couldn't help keeping her little scientific facts to herself. "It's always good to wash your hands as frequently as possible." I sighed, 'Here we go again.' "Germs can stay on your hands for as long as two hours, but they can stay alive longer under your finger nails. The moist environment is perfect breeding ground for them. Germs often enter our bodies when we touch our eyes, nose and mouth with our own unwashed hands. That is why it is crucial for a hospital to stay as sterile as possible because—"

I couldn't take her needless, but intriguing facts any more. "Maura-"

"What, are you in pain?" She looked me up and down with her brow creased in concern.

"Yeah, my head." I joked. "Why do you do that?"

"Do what?" She asked me with an un-doubtable look of confusion on her face.

"Why do you spout off these random facts?" I asked with a smile on my face.

She looked away as if I had just hurt her feeling. "I'm sorry. I won't do them again."

"No, no, it's fine." I reassured her. "I like them. I really do, but all the things that you spout off are just—are just too much. They're fine, really." We stood there in silence before I recommended that I be brought back to bed.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Jane. I didn't mean to…"

* * *

Once I was settled back into bed, Maura pulled up a chair and sat next to me in silence. I was the first one to speak. "How many times did I—die—on the operating table?"

"What makes you say that?"

"Maura," I said incredulously, "I know it happened. I was in a coma with a gunshot wound to my abdomen and spine damage. I know I've had to at least once."

Maura shook her head. "Jane, it's not tha—"

I cut her off and whispered to her sharply, "Maura, please, I want to know."

She kept her eyes trained on the ground when she answered. "It was four times." She tried to stop the tears from flowing. "Four times, it happened."

Neither of us looked at each other, and neither one wanted to speak. I don't know what Maura was thinking, but all I was doing was processing what I had just been told. Once I had processed as much as I could I looked to Maura to speak again. She was looking away at the ground.

"Maur," She didn't move. "Maura," Her eyes finally met mine. "Thank you. Thank you for being here with me. I know it must be hard to see me like this. And, I also know that you must be driving your parents insane to be able to stay with me day and night." I tried to lighten the mood.

"Actually, I'm not bothering my parents at all."

I looked at Maura confused. "What do you mean?"

She let out a sigh. "They're both in Paris. My mother is an artist and she has several shows this time of year, so she is staying there for a while."

"Oh, you must really miss each other."

"Actually, it is not unusual for them to be gone for long periods of time. I'm usually home alone anyway with just my butler."

I was surprised. "You have a bu—" I grabbed my head in sudden pain. Things began to blur, and I had become dizzy. I also felt sick. "Maura, going things on? I- I feel little a sick. Mau—" I could no longer see. The last thing I saw was Maura jumping out of her seat and—and maybe I heard an erratic beeping noise like an alarm.

I was slipping deeper and deeper away. I had no idea what was happening. I was falling farther and farther into the rabbit's hole. But this time, it wasn't getting brighter.

* * *

**Alrighty, that's chapter 12 for ya. I hope you guys are still sticking with me. And, by the way, I love the comments. Comments keep me going. Anyway, as usual, if you have any applauds or suggestions or comments don't be afraid to post them. I hope you guys continue to stick with me and support me. Thank you. **


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13:

I woke up with lights blaring in my eyes. From what I could see at the moment, this wasn't my normal hospital room. The room looked well equipped with medical machines and equipment. I don't know why or when I was moved.

I looked to my left to face my Ma, who was holding and rubbing circles with her thumb on the back of my hand. It looked like she was in a deep daze of worry. Her eyes never left the wall opposite of me. I continued to scan the room when my eyes fell upon a chair in the corner. Someone was sitting in it reading a book. I couldn't see who it was, but I had an idea of who it was because of the clothing attire.

"Ma," I croaked in nearly a whisper through an oxygen mask that was placed over my mouth and nose. She jumped back to reality when I called her name. She leaned forward and wiped a strand of hair out of my face. "Janie, darling." She carefully leaned forward more to give me a hug. By now, Maura had risen from the chair in the corner and stood by my bed.

I looked around the room one more time. "Ma, why am I in a different room and where are Frankie and Tommy?" I rasped through a sore throat.

"Janie, you had a stroke. It was a – Maura, could you explain it to Jane please, since you seem to understand it better than I do."

"Yes ma'am I can. Jane, you had an ischemic stroke." She walked closer to me from where she was previously standing. "This particular stroke occurs when there is a blood clot that breaks loose from wherever it is and enters the bloodstream. It travels as far as it can go until the blood vessels become too small to let it pass. This causes a blockage which results in a stroke."

"I'm all right though, right?" I asked slightly panicked.

Maura answered my question. "Yes, you are fine except you still having paralysis in your left leg. Luckily, you were in the hospital when your stroke happened, so they were able to treat you quickly. Their quickness saved valuable time that prevented damage anywhere. The statistics of—"

"Please don't give me the origin, discoverer, or statistics of a stroke." I playfully bantered with Maura as Ma still clutched my hand in hers.

"Ok." Maura shrugged off my request with a smirk.

"Ma, where's Frankie and Tommy?"

"I sent them to school today. They were just too much to handle in the hospital and I wanted to take their minds off of everything."

As if on cue, a doctor with a clipboard walked into the room. "Hi Jane, I'm Dr. Martin. I was your doctor that came into your room when you woke up from your coma." He walked over to bag of solution for the IV that was by my bed and checked it. "I'm going to take you to get tested for a few things. Your mom can come with you if you want."

"What about Maura?"

The doctor turned and looked at Maura in silence before he gave his answer. "Yes, Maura can come too." Both of our faces lit up in a smile.

"Ok, so before I get a wheelchair and bring you to where you need to go, do you have any questions?"

"Yeah, how come I haven't been interviewed by any police about the incident I was involved in?"


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14:

Dr. Martin inhaled deeply, and then replied. "You haven't been in the best condition. You were in serious condition for the longest time and with your stroke happening we are keeping you in the intensive care unit to keep our eye on you. When you are stable enough they will come interview you."

"One more question, has Frost come to visit me?"

"No, we are only allowing family, and," he paused and held out his hand to indicate he was talking about Maura, "Maura to be present in your room. Anymore questions?"

"No, that is everything." With that the doctor nodded his head and exited the room to retrieve the wheelchair.

That was about two and a half weeks ago. I had gone through the operation to fix my temporary paralysis in my spine. And, the police did come to interview me. An officer Korsak had asked me questions that I had a hard time answering, but I still answered them. I was also informed that he was the one who had tackled the suspect before he could kill me or any more people. Furthermore, I was told that six people had been killed by the boy, whose name is Rick Dawes. I was shown the picture and I immediately recognized it as the boy with dark hair who had been walking in the other direction of the school the day of the shooting, and the boy that had gotten beaten up by Joey Grant.

With surgery out of the way I had to start therapy, both physical and mental. Maura was with me throughout all of them. She encouraged me when I had doubts and cheered me up when I was depressed. I couldn't quiet walk yet, so Maura was by my side whenever I attempted to walk down the hospital corridors with a walker.

I was so grateful for Maura being there with me all of the time. If she wasn't there I would have rather died than be without her.

In the meantime, Frost had only come to visit me once. I had assumed that he didn't want to see me so vulnerable and crippled as I was. And Ma, ma had to go home to take care of Frankie and Tommy. She didn't stay the whole time like she used to. The partial reason is Frankie and Tommy. They were getting too rowdy and ma couldn't handle them in such tight spaces.

* * *

It was late at night, and all the activities for that day were done. I had my own special room. The room I was in was specially made for patients like me. Maura had gotten ready for the night and sat in a recliner reading some National Geographic book.. I, on the other hand, sat in a bed similar to the one I had in my hospital room. "Maura?" She looked up from her book when I called her name.

"Yes, Jane?"

"Can I ask you a – a serious question, and can – can you please answer it honestly?"

"Of course Jane, you can ask me anything, and I can't lie, remember?" Maura replied in complete seriousness.

I scoffed, rolled my eyes, and chuckled. "Maura, you are one of a kind." There was a pause before I spoke up again. "Ok, here's my question that has been bothering me. Did you trust me? I mean, like during the whole incident, did you ever doubt me or not want to trust what I was saying at all?"

Maura put down her book that was still in her hand and inhaled sharply before she answered. "Yes, yes Jane, I did doubt you. I was in a panic and had no idea what was going on. I was frozen, but Jane, remember that you saved my life. Without you I wouldn't be here right now. I could have been dead in the school hall or in the parking lot, but you didn't at all hesitate to get out of there and you had put others safety before yours, and I deeply appreciate everything that you had done for me. And, to be honest, I didn't have complete trust in you before that day."

Maura had now piqued my interest. She had given me my answer and she was about to give me more.

"A few days before, you and I were at school after it was over. You had basketball practice and, I, of course, stayed in the bleachers waiting for you to be finished. During your practice I had to use the bathroom. When I walked in, Debbie, Emily, and Kate were in there. They had surrounded me and told me that you were using me for my grades so you could continue to play basketball. I believed them to some point. I was so confused. I couldn't decipher the difference between a lie and the truth. That is the day I asked why you were my friend. As I look at it now, you gave me the most honest truth there was. Foolishly, I didn't really believe you and I still questioned the sole purpose of our friendship, but now I know that our friendship is real and no one is trying to take advantage of the other. I want to thank you because I've never had a friend before and you saved me. Thank you."

I sat on my bed speechless. Maura had probably confessed one of her deepest darkest secrets and I had no words to say. What could I say? How can anyone respond to that? I didn't know.

"Maura—" I began.

"Shh, don't answer. Let's just go to sleep."

I looked at Maura with astonished eyes. "Did you just shush me? Only my ma shushes me." I joked.

"Yes I did. Now, get some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow." Maura rolled over to her side on the recliner and shut off the lamp. I stared at the silhouette of Maura made by the moon seeping through the window before I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

**Hey guys! Sorry for me not updating in a long time. WRITER'S BLOCK SUCKS! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review or comment or whatever you feel like doing. And, I don't know when the next time will be when I update because, like I said, writer's block sucks. **


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